VVS Laxman To Coach Team India On Zimbabwe Tour As Gautam Gambhir Stays In England

New Delhi: The Indian cricket team is going through a busy schedule these days. On one hand, the decisive match of the ODI series is to be played against England, while on the other hand, the Zimbabwe tour will start after a few days. Amidst the continuous international matches, the work pressure on the players as well as the coaching staff has increased. Keeping this in view, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has adopted a different strategy this time.

Regular head coach Gautam Gambhir will remain with the senior team in England, while the charge of the young Indian team on the Zimbabwe tour has been handed over to the head of the National Cricket Academy (Centre of Excellence) and former batsman VVS Laxman.

Why did BCCI take this decision?

The international schedule of the Indian team remains busy. Just four days after the end of the last match of the ODI series against England at Lord's, the T20 series against Zimbabwe is starting. It was not easy for the entire coaching team to reach from one country to another in such a short period of time. In such a situation, BCCI has divided the responsibilities while giving priority to workload management. The board believes that this will not put additional pressure on both the players and support staff and the preparations of both teams will not be affected.

Why was trust shown only in VVS Laxman?

VVS Laxman has been leading the Bengaluru-based BCCI Center of Excellence for the past few years and has been continuously working with the next generation of players for Indian cricket. He knows the capabilities and needs of young players closely. This is the reason why whenever the head coach was not available due to any reason, BCCI expressed confidence in Laxman. Even during Rahul Dravid's tenure, he successfully played the role of acting head coach on Ireland, New Zealand and other tours. Even on the Zimbabwe tour, the board has given priority to experience and continuity.

𝙀𝙣 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙕𝙞𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙬𝙚 🇿🇼#TeamIndia | #ZIMvIND pic.twitter.com/akRFqycwXC

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 18, 2026

How important will this tour be for the young players?

The Zimbabwe tour is being considered as a big opportunity for many young players to prove themselves. New faces like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Suryansh Shedge, Prince Yadav and Ashok Sharma have got a chance in the team that will be captained by Shreyas Iyer. Apart from this, players like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan and Mayank Yadav will also try to strengthen their place. The selectors will keep an eye on which player proves himself ready for future big series.

How is the schedule and team of the series?

The first match of the T20 series between India and Zimbabwe will be played on July 23 at Harare Sports Club. The second match will be held on 25th July and the third match will be held on 26th July. All matches will start at 4:30 pm Indian time. The command of the team will be in the hands of Shreyas Iyer, while the team will be expected to perform better from Tilak Verma, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Harsh Dubey, Prabhsimran Singh and other young players. This tour is being considered an important opportunity not only to win the series but also to test the future of Indian cricket.